REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Ikhwanul Kiram Mashuri

In 'Resonance' column there were many times I wrote about Turkey. Precisely, on the success of the AKP (Justice and Development Party) led by Recep Tayyib Erdogan. In the economic field, for example, in just 10 years since Erdogan became Prime Minister (PM) in 2002, he has managed to raise more than three times per capita income of Turkish citizens. Namely, of just 3 thousand to 13 thousand US dollars.

That success would not be separated from economic base designed by Erdogan. For example, of the Turkish economy was once more relying on the agricultural sector then he changed it by turning to industry and services sectors. The result, the numbers of foreign tourists visit from only 4 million to 35 million people per year, which was only a 10-year government of Erdogan.

However, to achieve success was certainly not as easy as 'bim salabim and become’. Moreover, at that time Turkey was known as the 'sick state' in Europe. There were three chronic diseases before AKP / Erdogan in power since 13 years ago. First, the military dominance in any society. Secondly, corruption was rampant. Third, open war with the Kurds.

AKP / Erdogan seemed well aware that in order to improve the Turkish economy needed political stability and security. Therefore, the three chronic diseases became priorities.

Related to the military role, he had strategy that Turkey became a member of the European Community (ME) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Therefore, the main requirement became a member in both organizations, a country must implement democracy. While prerequisite of democracy was the absence of military intervention in political affairs. It was done successfully by Erdogan. Now the military's role limited to the country's defense alias back to the barracks.

Meanwhile, to combat corruption, in the beginning of his governance Erdogan was very hard on him and his party before imposing it to the other party. He did not hesitate to punish people from his party whom involved in corruption. The result, Erdogan's government was known to be very clean. Along with that he was also cut the long bureaucratic legacy from previous government.

It turned out the corruption and bureaucracy was closely related to the economic growth. It was proven when officials were not corrupt and bureaucratic were not long-winded; the Turkish economy was rapidly stretched. After 10 years of AKP / Erdogan in power, Turkey was once sick has become the seventh economic power in Europe.

As against the Kurds, in which the Turkish military has spent billions of dollars from taxpayers to combat them, was no longer a big issue for the country. All this time the Kurds which amounts to 15 percent of Turkey's total population of about 80 million people were demanding secession and establish an independent Kurdish state.

However, after the Erdogan government recognized the rights of the Kurds to use their language and culture, the Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan in prison was also offering the negotiations. He also ordered his soldiers to lay down their arms. Moreover, Erdogan also pledged to guarantee the representation of the Kurds in the Turkish parliament.

With varying success on Erdogan’s government, it was not surprising that AKP always wins in every election. The victory which later led Erdogan became prime minister since 2002. After serving as prime minister for 12 years, Erdogan began eyeing the position of president, a position which he acquired in August 2014, after he won the presidential election directly for the first time in the history of Turkey.

However, in the Turkish parliamentary system, the president was only symbolic, just a ceremonial role. He was merely a rubber stamp. A role that was certainly not desirable by Erdogan. That's why he was designing the changes of the constitution that gives greater role to the president as head of state and chief executive officer; the changes which he described as 'the new constitution towards a new Turkish state'.

Here, then, appear various problems. Erdogan's political opponents accused him of being ambitious. They said the desire to change the constitution of the parliamentary system towards a presidential system was simply to satisfy Erdogan’s personal ambition to remain in power.

Yes, power is too long sometimes makes people forget themselves. Power often causes a person to become authoritarian. It was also addressed to Erdogan. Especially when later he got rid of the party seniors who jointly raise AKP with Erdogan as well as Abdullah Gul (AKP founder and former president of Turkey). He then replaced them with young cadres whom loyal to him, including, when in 2014 then he pointed Ahmat Davutoglu as prime minister and chairman of the AKP.

Other charges were regarded as arbitrariness of Erdogan among other authoritarian stamp when he suppressed the demonstrators (demonstration of Gezi Park) in last 2013. Also, the corruption scandals which were involving the people whom close to Erdogan. Whereas, the theme of combating corruption which was the major concern in the early days of his governance.

Furthermore he was getting rid of Fathullah Gulen’s followers, Muslim scholars and intellectuals who now live in the US. Erdogan accused them of a 'state within a state', referring to the social and education institutions were scattered all over Turkey, which were managed by people of Fathullah Gulen.

With a variety of accusations and scandals that enveloped Erdogan and the AKP, it was not strange for the parliamentary election date of June 7, 2015 almost all opposition parties were 'gang up' on them. The opposition parties have wanted to end the domination of the AKP and Erdogan which has been in power since 2002.

As a result, the AKP only received 41 percent of the vote or 259 seats of the 550 seat in Turkish parliament, it down compared with the previous three elections in which the AKP gained an absolute majority. Followed by the CHP (Republican People's Party), which gained 25 percent of the vote, MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) 16.3 percent, and the HDP (Peoples Democratic Party) 13.1 percent of the vote.

The decrease of AKP's vote, as where it said by Turkish observers and the leaders of opposition party, it considered as a 'warning of the Turkish people against Mr Erdogan'. According to them, one's power should be limited. Infinite power tends to corrupt and arbitrary.

By a vote of the AKP like this then they could not form the self-government. AKP should form a coalition. Even with the failure of the AKP gained a two-thirds vote in parliament, they were also not able to push through the changes of legislation - of the parliamentary system into a presidential - without a referendum of the people.

According to the Turkish constitution, there were only two alternatives that could be done by the President Erdogan. First, ordered chairman of the AKP to form a coalition government with one of the three winner parties of election. Up to this article was made, the leaders of the three opposition parties have openly rejected the coalition because of fundamental differences in principle with the AKP.

Second, when up to 45 days from the announcement of the election results have not yet formed a coalition government, the President Erdogan should have ordered a re-election. Election results were unpredictable and undesirable by the AKP and Erdogan himself.

Whatever will be taken by the politicians in Turkey, we certainly hoped the broke down politics was not to cause chaos in the country. Turkey has been seen as an example of Islamic countries (with Muslim majority) which were advanced, democratic, modern, and stable, in the midst of the countries of the Middle East region that was full of chaos.

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